Whereas most proxy - based reconstructions point to an early - middle LIG climatic optimum with reduced
summer sea ice concentrations between 126 and 116 ka, the results of our model simulations only support a
pronounced reduction
in summer sea ice concentration for the LIG - 125 and LIG - 130 runs (
in both time slice as well as transient runs; Figs. 8 and 9), but also indicate that sea ice was still present
in the central Arctic Ocean even under climatic conditions significantly warmer
than today (Fig. 4).